διατελέω (diateleō)
diateleō
to continue
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb diateleō carries the sense of continuing through to a conclusion or finishing something thoroughly. It combines the idea of thoroughness with completion, suggesting that an action is not merely started but carried out to its full end. In the New Testament, this word appears only once, in Acts 27:33.
In that specific context, Paul uses it to urge the sailors and passengers to take some food for strength during a long storm. The nuance here is one of enduring through a difficult period until safety is reached. It implies perseverance and staying the course despite adverse conditions, ensuring that one’s life or task is sustained until its proper conclusion.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word diateleō appears only once in the New Testament, found in Acts 27:33. Here, Paul urges those on a storm-tossed ship to eat after fourteen days of fasting. The term implies continuing through to a conclusion, carrying an action out to its full end rather than letting it fade away.
When life feels like a prolonged storm, this word reminds us that endurance is not passive waiting. It is an active choice to sustain ourselves so we can reach the safe harbor God has promised. By taking what we need to keep going, we honor the call to finish well.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- you continue1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- διατελεῖτε1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 27:33
While the day was coming on, Paul begged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing.
Paul uses this rare term to describe the sailors' prolonged state of fasting during the storm, urging them to continue eating to sustain their strength until safety.